


Hunter x Hunter: Wild World

by whorebehavior



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animal Crossing Fusion, Alternate Universe - No Nen, Animal Crossing References, Canonical Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Suicide Mention (First Chapter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23464540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whorebehavior/pseuds/whorebehavior
Summary: Killua escapes his abusive home to a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. Can he adjust to the simple, new and idyllic life this peaceful little place has to offer?
Relationships: Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck, Kurapika/Leorio Paladiknight, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 24
Kudos: 93





	1. Old Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Heavily based on Wild World but I put the town on an island for plot purposes! :)

_Greetings,_

_These old bones just aren't what they used to be so it is with humility and hope that I ask for your wisdom. I am looking for somewhere quiet to retire, a place very private and peaceful, preferably teeming with the gifts of nature, with none of the busy activities of the city. Money is of no issue for I have saved up a hefty sum throughout my life for my retirement. I am eagerly awaiting your kind suggestions. Please send a text message to this number XX-XXX-XXX to provide me with details. Kindly refrain from calling, I have trouble with memorization. Many thanks._

Posing as an old man writing to the community bulletin board might not be the most effective way of finding a place to hide in, but it was the safest. Anything Killua did on the Internet, or through any electronic device rather, could be easily traced by Milluki, and the moment he was caught, any chance of escaping his hellhole of a home would be squashed for the rest of his life. He had one shot and he had to succeed. 

His whole life was leading up to this moment, he just hadn't expected it so soon. His initial estimation was to be sixteen years old before pulling off the biggest betrayal in Zoldyck history, but right now he was twelve fucking years old on the brink of death. Four more years was out of the question. The more he stayed, the more likely he was going to die. Either through torture or by suicide. 

With firm resolve, he nonchalantly walked alongside Canary as she escorted him out of the Zoldyck premises. Killua was instructed to go to the market today and get groceries along with Canary. On the way there, they were going to pass by the community bulletin board, where the common folk posted up notices, advertised their products or asked for help. The paper tucked into his jacket pocket was burning a hole through his shirt. 

Canary was skimming the list of groceries. By the time she folded it up, she had likely memorized it all. "There's a lot to buy today. Maybe we should split up." 

God bless her, she was one of the few in the household who liked him and even trusted him. If he was acting off or suspicious, she wouldn't tell on him at all. But that didn't mean he could let his guard down. If he got caught, she might suffer the consequences for covering up for him too. No, Killua had to do this alone. Just like how he always did. 

"Sure, whatever," he said, folding his arms above his head.

She ripped the grocery list in half and handed one to Killua. When they reached the marketplace, they parted ways after agreeing to meet back at the entrance. Killua debated with himself as he strolled into the poultry section, deaf to the calls of vendors beckoning to him with offers and sales on all sides. Should he go to the community board now or after he was done? 

Now was the best time. Even if he shopped as fast as he could, there was a risk of Canary finishing before him and catching him leaving the market. Best to strike while she was at her busiest. After catching sight of Canary's head disappear into the crowd, Killua sped out of the market and headed to town hall, his hood up and covering half his face. A man in a shabby suit was stalking out of the building, shoulders hunched. Killua put on his best lost child face and approached him. 

"Excuse me sir?" he said, erasing all the years of torture and training from his young face. 

The man stopped to give him a warm smile. "Yes, hello. Something the matter?" 

"Um, my grandfather told me to put this on the community board. I don't know where that is… or what to do." 

"Let me take care of that for you." The man took the paper from Killua and patted him on the head. Killua restrained himself from flinching at the sudden touch. "It's on my way anyway, and I just so happen have to have thumbtacks on me. Hurry home now. Don't stay out too late." 

"Thanks, mister!" Killua bowed and ran off, looking over his shoulder once to give another friendly, childish wave. The man waved back. Goosebumps crawled up Killua's skin. Was he that convincing as an ordinary, innocent kid? Killua retrieved his hand, the one he used to wave at the nice man. He could almost see the bloodstains on it. 

Anyway, the man seemed to be heading for the community board, but to be sure, Killua ducked behind a tree and watched him do his job. Good. It was a precaution that he himself wouldn't put the message on the bulletin board even if he was pretty sure his family never noticed things that were only for commoners. 

Hurrying back to his chore, he was distracted the whole time, waiting with bated breath for the burner phone in his pocket to vibrate.

# 

It was late in the evening when he received a message. He was lounging on his bed, reading a magazine. Or at least he was pretending to read, because he was too distracted by watching the light seeping from under his door, hyper-aware of every shadow that made it flicker, of the footsteps that made the barest echoes in the hallways. Whenever he could hear his mother's voice raise a little, he'd instinctively brace himself for the worst. He couldn't remember the last time he got a good night's sleep. Nighttime promised either ambush or important discussions and he couldn't slack off for either. He'd been able to predict and prepare for scolding and punishment the following day if he was able to eavesdrop on conversations the night before. 

His hand hovered above his pocket against his will. It was almost reverent, wishful. This was the closest he's ever done to a prayer. 

If only he could take Alluka and Kalluto with him. Although physically unharmed, Kalluto was emotionally neglected and he deserved better. Killua would give him better, he would give him the world, but he knew Kalluto would refuse him. Kalluto loved their family for all it was fucked up and evil and undeserving of him. Over the years, Killua had been trying to subtly change his mind as much as he could under constant surveillance, but their mother was constantly in Kalluto's other ear. 

Alluka, on the other hand, had a deadly secret to keep. She was treated like a princess as long as she could keep this secret but that was bullshit. She had to live freely. And Killua would give her the world too but the fact of the matter was he wasn't strong enough. He wasn't skilled enough to escape with the both of them and she wasn't good enough of a liar to keep them under wraps. He could kidnap her, or he could trick her, but she would slow him down. She would be clumsy and leave a trail. By regular standards, she was excellent, but when facing off against the likes of Illumi and Silva, she was helpless. Killua on his own barely stood a chance. 

And if they were caught, it would put Alluka's secret at risk. They were already suspicious of her "preferred nickname" and her preference for femininity. Their parents would piece together why Alluka chose to escape as well when she was being treated well and then it would be over. 

_Fuck this family_ , Killua thought angrily, hot tears welling up in his eyes. Everyone older than him deserved to die in a fire. 

He was interrupted by a slight vibration in his pocket. The phone was out of his pocket in a flash, his eyes hungrily reading the message across the screen. 

_Hey there old timer!_

_You've got the right idea about where you want to spend the rest of your life on. Must be fate, that I happened upon your call for help. I'm the mayor of a fairly new town on a deserted island, and trust me, I'm not doing this to brag. My town is very humble, why, I only have around ten people living in it right now, not counting myself. And you're very welcome to join our family. I've attached photos of our sweet little home. I do wish to redirect you to a fancy website, but we old souls don't do very well with all that technology stuff, do we? You'll find nary a gadget on this island as well. Here are the directions, do stop by and see if the place is to your liking!_

_Cheers,  
Netero_

__

There was no address, because apparently the place was that much of a remote island. The directions were as long as a grocery list and the last instruction was to find a fisherman willing enough to take you there for a price. There was a goddamn map of all things just so they'd know where to go because no one else would. The island had a port but there were no boats that ever stopped by because no one would even bother to go there. 

Killua vibrated with energy. It was perfect, almost too good to be true. No trace of it on the Internet and irrelevant enough to escape the watchful eyes of his parents. He had to consider it as a trap set up by Illumi, so on the way there he had to validate its existence. Although Killua was certain nothing about his post traced back to him, the coincidence that the post appeared on the same day he and Canary went out could be enough to catch Illumi's attention. There was no such thing as too paranoid as a Zoldyck. 

Tomorrow, he was going to go looking for a mission near the Santa Ana port, the first stop on his list of directions.


	2. No Goodbyes

"Another mission?" Milluki scoffed, slathering his slice of bread with yam. "Didn't you just have one last week?" 

"Not all of us are slackers like you," Killua shot back, stuffing his face with coconut pie. 

Breakfasts at the Zoldyck's were deceptively calm. Silva sat at the very head, his face stern even when he was clearly restraining himself from salivating at the heavenly aroma that wafted from the fresh food set on the finely woven dining cloth. At his left sat Kikyo, primly cutting her portion into very small pieces before popping them into her mouth with a very small fork. On his right was Illumi, eyes blank and staring straight ahead while he robotically consumed whatever the househelp served on his plate. 

Next to Kikyo was Kalluto, who was mimicking his mother's table manners to a tee. Killua sat next to him, his eating early as sloppy as Milluki's who was right across him and next to Illumi. Next to Killua was Alluka, eating as quickly as possible so she could leave. 

It was fucking disgusting. They played this charade because Kikyo thought they fit the aesthetic of an elegant family or something. Just a fancy little whim. Wouldn't it be fun if the murderous family enjoyed a meal on a bright morning? What a joke. Every goddamn day, Killua dreamed of flipping the table and sending it crashing right into Illumi and Milluki. He'd smash his mother's head right into her stupid food cut into little squares. He'd dump his food all over Silva's—

"It seems you're more proactive with work ever since I allowed you to keep your earnings," Silva spoke up. Killua inwardly jolted. It's like the damn fossil could hear him. "Are you saving up for something?" 

"The new mintendo flick," Killua said. It wasn't a lie. He wanted the coral one. 

"That shouldn't cost much," Milluki said, ever trying to flex his knowledge about technology. 

"I'll obviously be buying games too," Killua sassed. "And accessories." 

Milluki eyed him suspiciously. "Yeah? What games?" 

"None of your business. You can't borrow it by the way." 

"Oh, please! As if I need to borrow any of your shit." 

Killua bit down on his tongue, annoyed. Milluki borrowed his stuff all the damn time! He was about to snap back because screw it when Alluka placed a gentle hand on his arm. 

"Can I borrow it then, brother?" 

He patted her head, unable to look her in the eye when he smiled. "I'll buy you your own, if you want." 

She laughed. "I was just joking. I already have my own." 

"What?" Killua was dumbfounded. "How come you never let me play it?" 

She shrugged. 

"Boys," Kikyo interjected, dabbing at the corner of her mouth with a lace handkerchief. "Share your things, will you. You are forbidden from withholding anything from anyone in this family." 

Silva set down his glass of water firmly. "Let them be. It's good for them to be independent, even with their belongings such as shallow toys. But never when a family member is in need. Are we clear?" 

"Yes, father," they answered in unison. 

Fucking wrong in the head old man. He loved to pretend he was this good and wise patriarch with his dumbass speeches. The thing is, his definition of "need" was very different. For him, the basic necessities of humans consisted of discipline, skill and physical strength. If Killua was "in need" of a little strength, then his family was more than generous enough to subject him to torture. To push his body to its physical limits. To make him grow. 

His mission, which he was going to ghost, was scheduled to begin at lunch, so he opted to leave after breakfast. He wasn't stupid enough to pack his stuff but he had withdrawn all his money from his account and he had his toiletries in his bag and one change of clothes. Just so he could change into a different outfit and stay undetected when Illumi would eventually go to track him down. 

As he was about to leave the Zoldyck Manor, his steady footfall stuttered when he passed by Kalluto training in the yard. A fan in hand, he was completely concentrated on the pieces of paper fluttering around him, willing them to follow him instead of the wind that blustered. He was oblivious to Killua's presence, or maybe he was too busy to care. 

No goodbyes. Killua moved forward, feet as heavy as lead. 

He was at the gates when he found himself thinking about the last time he saw Alluka. Next to him at the table, face the picture of obedience when she said "yes, father" with the rest of them. Chatter had died completely after that. The last conversation between him and Alluka was about a gaming console. 

His feet grew even heavier. 

As he passed by, Mike wagged his tail in greeting. Killua smiled at him and raised his hand like he always did before moving forward. 

No goodbyes. 

Zebro greeted him when he exited the gate. "Morning, Killua! Busy day?" 

"Eh, it's alright." Killua shrugged. Busy would be an understatement. 

"Well, you have a good day, son." 

Killua stopped. Zebro always said this. He'd say this every time Killua would leave the manor. But just this once, Killua wanted to hear him say more. He knew this man cared for him. Many people did care for him, like Tsubone and Canary and Gotoh, but Zebro was different. He was innocent, he was untrained, he was ordinary. He should be scared shitless at the sight of Killua, being a regular man clocking in at work, witnessing all the heinous shit Killua had been doing since he was a kid. But he didn't hate Killua and he wasn't afraid at all. Either he was stupid, which Killua doubted he was, or he accepted Killua for who he was.

"Something the matter, young master?" 

Killua turned to look at him. His smile was strained. "You have a good day too." 

No goodbyes.


	3. To Kill or Not To Kill

Holy fuck. 

"So what's your name, little one?" 

The fisherman was whistling to a dandy old tune, happy as a clam and totally oblivious to Killua's impending breakdown. Holy fuck. He had been moving on autopilot for the past few hours, running circles around cities to become essentially untraceable, modifying his appearance for every location, coming up with new names and new personalities. Adrenaline and instinct kept him moving all the way to this little fishing boat with a kindly fisherman who welcomed the lost little kid with open arms and rejected all payment. 

"Not much of a talker, are you?" 

Killua blinked. This was the sixth pair of eye contacts he'd used. He'd lost track of what color he was on. 

The waves gently rocked the boat, like trying to lull Killua into a calm. The fisherman kept humming to himself, not at all unnerved by his total silence. 

It was all sinking in. This absurd, surreal situation where he had escaped the clutches of his family. All his life he'd only known blood and pain and suffocating control, and now he was out in the open sea with a stranger. The salt in the air and the gentle kiss of the sun felt almost stung in its unfamiliarity. 

Who was he without his family? He didn't know. He'd lived his whole life in response to them. 

"This little map of yours, you drew it yourself? Pretty good, I must say." 

Killua found his voice enough to say, "Thanks." He thought he had done a pretty sweet job too. He ran out of blue crayon just to finish it. 

"Right there, yep. This line of mountains over yonder, why, I've been there. Got myself a bountiful haul of crabs. Never knew there was a little island some ways behind it. Glad we've got a reference point, or else we'd be lost at sea." 

"Is the trip going to be long?" Killua whined. He could read maps but he always had trouble when it came to the sea. "I should pay you for the trouble," he added begrudgingly, feeling a bit ashamed. 

"Now, now," the fisherman laughed, his sun-kissed face beaming. "I'm not going to charge a child. What money have children got, hmm? When I was your age, I got into trouble with my momma when I begged her for money. Wouldn't want to put kids in the same position." 

"I have my own money," Killua said proudly. 

"Oh ho, you saved up all those holiday gifts, did you? Well keep that to yourself, buy a nice toy." 

"No, I worked for it!" 

The fisherman's smile wavered for a moment. Then he broke into laughter. "Nearly scared me there, you! Thought I had a case of child labor on my hands. Naw, you're talking about your mama rewarding you for helping out at home, aren't you?" 

"Yeah, sure," Killua muttered. Child labor? He didn't know there was a type of labor that specified the age of the worker. And a case? It almost sounded like it was illegal. 

Oh well. It probably was. Wouldn't be the only crime they committed. 

As time passed on, Killua found himself worrying about what would happen once they arrived. What if it was a trap all along? On his way, he had asked around about a 'Netero' and had gotten vague answers. A powerful, rich old man who mysteriously disappeared. Loves sports. Was a bit weird but mostly friendly. Some claimed he had hidden away in one of his many properties. But based on the information Killua gathered, Netero didn't seem to be a person who sought solitude. He was selective but surrounded himself with people. 

But no mention of him being mayor of a small town on an island. This could turn out to be a very good thing or a very bad thing. If it was true, then Killua would have an excellent place to hide out that no one knew about even if the mayor was supposedly high profile. But if it was false, then this could turn out to be a trap. 

After some time, their boat approached a small island filled with trees. The fisherman dropped him off with a sunny smile. "Here we are! It's been nice knowing you, lad." 

_I should kill him._

There was no way this man could keep this island a secret when Illumi came to investigate. If he lied, Illumi would know right away, and he'd die. If Illumi asked, he'd likely tell the truth, and tell him all about the passenger he had too. If Killua killed him right now, the ocean would dispose of his body for him, and this island will stay a secret. 

"Thanks for the ride, old man. Stay safe." 

The fisherman's frown was good-natured. "I'm not that old!" 

Killua helped him push his boat back into the waves. He stood at the shore, waving at the fisherman until he was nothing but a speck on the horizon.

* * *

It only took Killua a few seconds to map out the entire area. Damn this place was small. All he had to do was climb up a tree and the whole island was laid out in front of him. He had more to look at on the dinner table back home than the entirety of this place. The only notable things were the town hall, three small houses, two shops next to each other and a museum way far off. There was a river that cut through the land and led to the ocean, with two connecting the separated areas. Cliff walls surrounded the small town, heightening the seclusion and intimate atmosphere. 

If this was the real deal, then he'd just hit jackpot. Still, he couldn't trust too easily. Upon catching sight of a person trotting towards him, he quickly ducked into the leaves, raising the branch in his hand to shield him. His eyes tracked the golden head of hair bobbing up and down, gleaming in the sunlight. The person looked young, but a bit older than he was, with a watering can in hand and a bag on their back. They stopped at a patch of flowers to water it. 

Killua's eyes narrowed. Highly suspicious. Although their activity seemed very innocent, their movements were not. The way they moved was refined, graceful but a bit too precise. What tipped Killua off the most was the silent footsteps. No person who had lived a peaceful life would learn to mute their movements so effectively. 

He kept watching that person until they were some distance away. They seemed intent on watering every flower on the goddamn island. Was there really nothing much to do here? 

He dropped down from the tree, raised his hood, and moved as quickly and quietly as possible towards the town hall. He flexed his fingers, the razor sharp nails cutting through the air as he sped forward under the camouflage of the trees. If there was going to be a fight, it was going to happen at the town hall. 

He arrived in front of the building. After a quick glance at the area, he concluded there were no attackers hiding. So the one he had to fight must be inside. 

Veins pumping with adrenaline, he opened the door. 

A strange-looking girl greeted him. She was decked entirely in green and she had a doggy snout and ears. What the hell. Instantly untrustworthy. 

"Welcome!" she said cheerily. "You must be the newcomer. Mayor Netero told me we might have someone move in soon." 

It seemed he didn't mention that Killua was supposed to be an aging old man. "Yep, that's me." He approached the desk, appearing casual as ever, but the hands in his pockets were clenched to strike. 

"Let me provide you with some town necessities. Here!" She reached under her desk and handed him a bag with various buttons on it. The bag looked silly, like something preschoolers put their lunches in. How embarrassing. Was Killua supposed to carry this around? Come to think of it, the person earlier had something strapped to his back too. 

"It is one of Mayor Netero's best inventions! He calls it an inventory. It has quite a lot of functions. It's the best storage space around, holding up to 15 items of whatever size and 10 letters. It also has a special space for your money. Our currency here is bells, just like the rest of our little country. It can also knit clothes, caps, umbrellas and more for you when you insert a pattern in the slot you want. Here is the map, it updates automatically when new changes are made. Here, this screen keeps track of the bugs and fishes you've caught. Lastly is the friend roster! You can consider it the closest thing we have to social media on here. All you do is add friends on it and you can access their location to visit them when you want to!"

She maneuvered the bag around quickly while speaking, flawlessly showing off each function at an unforgiving pace. Killua was able to pick up on it all and he was glad to know all of it. The bag was strange but highly useful if he could ensure that it was safe to use. Unfortunately he didn't know much about technology enough to tinker with such an advanced gadget. Funny how Netero was allergic to the Internet but had an affinity for technology that could do old people things. Knitting, seriously? And his idea of social media sucked. 

It worked out in Killua's favor though. The less visible this place was, the better. 

"Now, use the map to go to your home. When Zepile heard about you, he built you a place to stay right away! I customized your bag for you so the map highlights your home." 

Killua checked the map. His house was up ahead, nearby the two shops. "Thanks, dog lady! That was a huge help." 

"I forgot to introduce myself, my apologies. My name is Cheadle. And you are?" 

Killua hesitated. He sensed no ill intentions from her. And the more he progressed in this place, the more he was assured of his victory. 

"Killua," he relented. 

"Welcome to Whale Island, Killua!" Cheadle smiled. "I hope you enjoy it here." 

He had a feeling he will.


	4. Grinding

Mature, friendly and well-dressed, the man before Killua was setting off his danger senses and it was driving him nuts. There was no malice whatsoever from Zepile but Killua couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to face extreme peril. And his instincts were never wrong. 

"Hey there, kiddo! You must be Killua. Cheadle from town hall told me all about you. Welcome to Whale Island!" 

"Yo. You're Zepile, right?" Killua spared a second to take his eyes off the suspicious man so he could glance at his new house. It was tiny, so tiny, he bet he'd have a more comfortable time living in one of Alluka's dollhouses. But beggars can't be choosers, and he didn't come to this town expecting a roof over his head. 

"That's me, alright. So what do you think of the house I built you? Not bad, right?" 

"Bad isn't what I'd use to describe it." Killua shrugged. "But still, thanks man." 

"No need for thanks." Zepile's smile sent Killua's senses into high alert. "Just a payment of 19,800 bells." 

Killua's eyes damn near popped out of his head. Son of a bitch! "What the hell? I don't have any money on me!" He'd tried to convert his jennies into bells before he left the town hall but apparently he couldn't do that. So he was totally, utterly broke. 

"I don't expect you to pay me now, of course! But eventually, you know? Labor and materials cost something." 

"No way!" Killua threw a tantrum of a lifetime. He stomped around in frustration. Second motherfucking conversation in this town and he was already being shaking down for money he didn't fucking have! "No fucking way! I'm twelve years old and you're a grown ass man, you can't do this to me!" 

Zepile raised his palms, trying to appease the raging little boy. "Tell you what. I'll let you work for me and I'll deduct your pay from your debt. Okay? It's easy work, I promise." 

Killua calmed down a bit at that. Work, he could do that. He's been doing it his whole life. Although he doubted there was much of anyone to kill here. Satiated for the time being, he followed Zepile to his bum ass shack he called a store, grumbling all the way. The place was cramped and small, and there were only a few measly products out for sale. The pathetic sight lifted Killua's spirits a little—no way in hell any of his rich family members would ever know of a town with a place like this. The sole store too, from what he'd seen so far. 

Zepile handed him a work uniform and gave him his orders after he changed into it. The first task was to plant flowers and trees around the shop. Make it snazzy, Zepile said. Whatever that meant. Killua just planted wherever the hell he felt like it and trudged back inside. 

"Done!" he said. 

"Does it look nice?" Zepile looked up from his log book. "I guess I'll just have to trust your instincts on this one."

"My instincts are never wrong," Killua boasted. Technically, he was telling the truth. His instincts were razor sharp.

"Hmm, have you met the mayor yet? Why don't you go say hi to him? He should be going for a stroll by the town hall." 

"Ummm…" Killua really didn't want Netero to find out he lied to him. 

"Go on now. Don't worry, Mayor Netero is really nice!" 

Resigned to his fate, Killua left the shop, thinking his options over. Maybe if he cried like a little kid the mayor would feel bad about kicking him out for catfishing crimes. 

Outside the town hall was an old man with a beard and ponytail taking a stroll. Since he was the only elderly person Killua's seen so far, this must be Netero. Killua had his saddest memory at ready when he approached in case he needed to cry at will. 

"Good evening," Netero said. "You must be Killua. Not as old as I thought." There was a good-natured twinkle in his eyes that had Killua's shoulders sagging in relief. 

"Uh, right. Sorry about that." 

"You must have your reasons, of which I am not entitled to," Netero said kindly. "Out of curiosity, who's a hero to you? The mayor, the policeman, or the mailman?" 

"Mailman," Killua answered quickly. Without question. 

All the energy left Netero's body at once. His head dropped low. "Is that so?" 

He was such a sorry sight that Killua found himself backing away and excusing himself. But he wouldn't apologize for his answer. Mailmen were the backbone of the society. 

Upon returning to the shop, Killua was given his next task. "Please deliver this package to Leorio. The faster the better, I say!" 

"Whatever." Killua accepted the package and exited the shop, not bothering to ask for Leorio's description. With such a small population, he'd be embarrassed to death if he couldn't find this Leorio. He ran across the beach first then worked his way upwards the island. Climbing a tree was out of his options, because apparently word spread fast and he didn't want everyone to know that the new kid had skills. Typically he was happy with flexing, but his aim here was to keep a low profile after all. 

He happened upon a tall, well-built man in a suit with a suitcase in hand. The man looked surprised to see him as he approached purposefully. 

"Hey, it's the new kid!" The man flashed a big grin. "Yo, I'm Leorio. And you are?" 

"The delivery boy," Killua said by way of introduction. "Here's your package." 

"Oh? Uh, thanks! From Zepile, huh. That was quick." Leorio opened the package, eyes alight. "Medicine just as I ordered it. Great! So you're working for him?" 

Killua bristled. "Not by choice. He held me hostage! It was a total ambush. Crazy old man." 

"Ah." Leorio appeared sympathetic, shaking his head. "You've just arrived and you already have to work! Relaxation is the key to a happy life. That Zepile just doesn't get it." 

"He really doesn't," Killua agreed. Wished he'd calm the fuck down with his prices. "He even made me wear this uniform." 

Leorio winced. "First day moving in, and you have to wear a uniform?! That's unheard of—no wait, that's blasphemous! Let me tell you, the first thing you do during a new chapter of your life is find some good booze and a good place to chill in. Well, you're a kid, so you can have apple juice or something non alcoholic."

Killua frowned. What a sleaze. "There's alcohol in this place?" 

"I make my own! Can't you see I'm the intellectual type? I'm studying chemistry well because I'm going to be a doctor. And no, I'm not going to give you any, so don't even think about it!" 

Killua stuck his tongue out. "I don't even want it! See ya, old man!" 

"Oy! I'm not old!" Leorio shook his fist at Killua's retreating back. That guy was lame but he wasn't a bad person. Killua could feel at ease around such a harmless dude like him. Physically, Leorio was a threat, but there was no trace of malice on him either.

Zepile was happy with Killua's speed and praised him as such. "You got here faster than I thought! I've got another delivery for you here." 

"Huh?! Why didn't you just give it to me altogether so I could finish it all in one run?" Killua yelled, annoyed. 

"Why didn't I… Huh… that is a good question…" Zepile muttered, trailing off. "You know what, Killua, you're a very smart boy! I bet you'll find Kurapika in no time to give him his package." 

God. Fucking whatever. Killua rolled his eyes hard enough to see his entire skull and left with the package in hand. 

After running around for a bit and seeing not a single living soul, he crossed the bridge to check out the other side. Thankfully he caught sight of a sentient being. It was the person from earlier, with the blond hair and the watering can. They were still at it with the watering can. How many flowers were on this island for them to take that long? 

The person had his back turned, peacefully watering a patch of flowers that clearly had its fill. Killua approached on silent feet because that was the only way he knew how to approach. He debated over awkwardly clearing his throat or fuck it, just shouting delivery when the person suddenly looked over their shoulder in a flash. 

Holy shit! Killua nearly jumped out of his skin. "Delivery!" he squawked, holding out the package. How embarrassing. In his defense, it was the first time in his life that he's ever been detected. Which only made this person way more suspicious than he was before. 

The person leaned forward to read the label on the package. "My red tulip seeds! Just what I needed." They took them off Killua's hands and slid it into their bag. 

"Are you the newcomer Zepile told us about?" The blond person's eyes widened comically. Just like a cat's. Killua stifled a spiteful giggle. "You're a bit younger than I was expecting."

Killua's hidden smile abruptly turned into a frown. "What do you mean? I'm pretty mature for my age."

"Well, you're still a child." The person was frowning now, too. "He should've gone easier on you."

Killua hissed, insulted. "This is nothing compared to what I usually do! Don't underestimate me. Delivery—tch. Child's play."

Faint amusement was written across the person's face. "I wasn't talking about the chores. He charged you a big amount, didn't he? Zepile is fair, I can promise you the fee covers all the costs exactly. But he's too fair. There should be some exceptions."

Killua exploded into indignance. "I didn't even ask him for the fucking house! He just built it and charged me for it before I even knew about it! I'm perfectly fine surviving in nature, you know! I don't need his stupid house." 

The person's smile was sympathetic. "Seems like you haven't had the best first day. Why don't you come over to my place later for dinner? My name is Kurapika, by the way. And you are?"

"Killua," he said, a bit dumbfounded at how easily this stranger invited him into his home.

"I'll talk to Zepile about springing such a big surprise on you like that."

"Tell him I don't want his stupid house! Wait, I'll tell him myself! Again! Even if I already said it!" Killua snarled and kicked at the ground, sending tufts of grass into the air. 

Kurapika didn't even flinch. "But...you do have to sleep somewhere."

"I told you, I can survive in nature!"

"It gets cold during winter. I'd invite you to sleep over at my place, but children shouldn't accept such offers from strangers."

This was the second time Killua was dumbfounded. " _I'm_ the one who has to be careful? You're the one inviting a stranger into your house! Who knows what could happen to you?"

Kurapika shrugged a shoulder. "I doubt I have anything that will interest you enough to steal. Besides, you're just a kid."

"I told you not to underestimate me," Killua groused. If Kurapika's easygoing smile was anything to go by, then it was safe to assume he wasn't being taken seriously. What the fuck. This guy was inviting an assassin into his home and he was smiling about it. So stupid. So annoying.

So why was Killua still standing here? He usually took no shit. Could it be... that he enjoyed Kurapika's company?

He shuddered. Ew. So cringey and gross. No way. With a gruff goodbye, he stalked off, his indignant footfalls leaving prints across the grass.

"Don't forget about dinner later," Kurapika called. "I'm cooking sea bass." 

Killua's stomach growled. The trees around him shook their apple-filled branches at him, taunting. They were saying, look at this loser. He's totally out of his element. He's got no idea what to do and now he's playing errand boy. Fucking lame. 

Enraged, Killua charged one of the trees and shook it violently, intending to uproot it through sheer power. He was rewarded with apples raining down around him. 

That's what you fucking get, tree. Killua picked up the apples and placed two into his bag, devouring one of them in a matter of seconds. Big and juicy and sweet. He ate another but held back from eating the last one, the sweet promise of sea bass calling to his stomach. He didn't want to get too full now. 

He returned to Zepile who took note of his tardiness. "Took you longer than I expected. Oh, you ate some apples? Here, give me the cores, I'll throw them away for you. Disposing of things is a little hobby of mine." 

Such a fucking weirdo! Killua gave him the apple cores because he didn't want to think anymore. There was a shit ton of other deliveries he had to do, among the same three people. Another villager whose house he hadn't spotted was named Biscuit and man, was she nosy and loud. Killua got the hell away from her the moment she began to ask about his dietary choices. 

"Come over and I'll give you an excellent training regimen!" she yelled at his rapidly retreating figure. "I'll put muscles on those scrawny arms!" 

He wasn't even scrawny, she was just buff as hell! Hmph. He bet he could take her in a fight. Probably. Hopefully. When the stars aligned. 

By the third delivery, Killua was tempted to smack the thick roll of persian carpet right over Zepile's head. Why the hell was he giving out the deliveries one by one? But Killua quickly figured out that the dude was cramming his deliveries and he actually had no idea what he was going to send out next until he had it all sorted out. Such a loser. 

Leorio's wallpaper didn't match the Persian carpet but Killua kept mum. He didn't want Leorio returning it and asking for a new one. Leorio gave him 510 bells as a tip, winking and asking to keep it a little secret from Zepile. Hell fucking yes, Killua could do that. He could do that all day long. He refrained from calling Leorio an old man, just this once. 

When Killua delivered furniture to Kurapika, his mouth watered at the smell of sea bass being sautéed. "Satotz swears that raw is the best way to eat sea bass," Kurapika told him. "But I wanted to try something new. Dinner's almost ready, are you not done yet?" 

"I am going to kill someone," Killua announced. 

"I could always reheat it for you." Kurapika then gave Killua a rose wallpaper as thanks for delivering his couch. Sweet, Killua had something to cover the walls of the house he hadn't even stepped foot in yet. 

He went back to Zepile for his next task. "Post an advertisement for our little shop on the town bulletin board. Something nice and catchy, popular with the youth." 

Killua was more than glad to comply. _Zep's Cranny fucking rocks!! Come buy our shit now!! Help a poor boy pay off his debt. TY_

After that, Zepile stopped violating child labor laws. Killua was set free…from work, not from his debt. He'd earned a measly 1400 bells and had like a gazillion left to repay. Nevertheless, Killua felt it was fitting to do a backflip in front of Zepile's Cranny, stick his tongue out at the door, and steal the flowers he planted for Zepile to transfer it to his own home. 

Sweet, sweet freedom!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I sped through the Nook employment part. There was too much to do! I did have fun with it. I skipped the introducing yourself around town part because I figured if Killua was going to deliver to them anyway then I could kill two birds with one stone.
> 
> Also, yay Bisky! I kept her brief here, I actually wanted her to be a surprise in later chapters but realized that Nook had you deliver to everyone in town so she had to appear to.
> 
> I'm honestly not satisfied with Zepile as Nook, but he's the closest I could think of? The role of Tom Nook is a huge role to fill after all. Any better suggestions? :)


	5. Total Drama Island

Dinner was … pleasant. It was a quiet affair for there were barely any words exchanged between Kurapika and Killua, the former being quite reserved and the latter having his mouth stuffed with sea bass, the savory sauce all over his face. Kurapika didn't comment on Killua's ravenous eating nor the mess he was making, opting to hand him a napkin to clean himself up. If Killua was any less good at reading people, he'd think Kurapika was just trying to be polite. But he could sense Kurapika just didn't care enough to raise a fuss about it. 

Which Killua appreciated. A lot. Back at home, every movement was catalogued and analyzed and everyone was constantly trying to read each other. His parents were always on the hunt for the slightest hint of disrespect in body language so they could have an excuse to punish him. Killua was constantly hyper-aware of their mood to gauge how much leeway he had in…well, in existing. If his parents were particularly tense, he'd try his best to become invisible while recalling past events to figure out what he could've done to set them off. Most of the time, he hadn't done anything. They were just looking for a punching bag and he was the most convenient one to use. 

So eating with a person whose biggest concern was the disappointing amount of sauce he'd made for dinner was refreshing. Too refreshing. It disquieted Killua to be in a situation that was too good to be true. Logically, he knew and recognized that he was in no trouble here. Kurapika wasn't trying to read him, no one was going to purposefully misinterpret his resting bitch face or his abrupt movements as disrespect or picking a fight. He was fine. But there was always a part of him that couldn't accept this, a part of him that was still stuck at home. 

He sighed in frustration. Was he ever going to escape? 

Kurapika rose from his seat. "I knew the sauce wasn't enough. I'll make some more." 

"No!" Killua was beyond embarrassed. He got caught being emo. Cringe. "It's fine. Really. I mouth off whenever I don't like something." 

"Yes, I did notice that…" Kurapika sat back down, folding his hands across his lap, looking deep in thought. Why did he seem like he was recalling a memory from long ago? Killua had been losing his shit over Zepile at Kurapika just a few hours ago. "Then you must enjoy the meal very much. You haven't been talking much." 

Killua's face heated up in a second. "N—no way! Geez, how can you say that so casually? Sheesh! Just no!" 

"No?" Kurapika calmly raised a questioning eyebrow. Killua wavered. 

"I mean, yeah, b—but, you—!" 

"Yes, what about me?" Kurapika's smile was serene as he cut into his fish. 

Killua slumped back against his seat. Totally obliterated. Geez, how can this guy fish for compliments like that? Mind games, man. Kurapika was playing him like a fiddle. Killua was highly equipped to deal with aggression and coercion and sweet talking, he could knock all those aside like flies. But Kurapika's calm composure was like an impenetrable armor and he felt flustered when he hacked at it. Kurapika's unflinching gaze made him feel younger than he really was. 

_Damn you, Kurapika…!_ Killua thought angrily as he dug into the scrumptious meal. He wasn't going to forget how Kurapika humiliated him on this day. No amount of sea bass would earn his forgiveness. The gall of this person, to so openly insinuate that Killua was somehow vulnerable for Kurapika's cooking… the nerve! 

"So how's working with Zepile?" Kurapika asked, dabbing at his mouth with a napkin for sauce that was unseen to the eye. It reminded Killua of Kikyo a bit, how this guy exercised impeccable table manners, so he forced all of his attention towards his food. 

"All in the past. I finished it in no time. The tasks were too easy." 

"That's good to hear. So you're free, then?" 

"No, not yet," Killua groaned. "I still have a lot more to pay. How the hell am I gonna earn money anyway?" 

"You can sell fruits to Zepile," Kurapika advised. "There are seashells that wash up on shore that you could sell to him too. It'd be wise if you saved up for tools, like a net and a fishing rod, so you can have other means of making a living. Zepile buys pretty much anything, fruits and seashells and fishes and bugs."

"Huh? But isn't that kind of circular? He pays me for stuff while I'll use to pay him back." 

Kurapika laughed. "Yes. But it works. It's what I do anyway."

After eating dinner, Killua could start earning money right away. There were a lot of apple trees near Kurapika's residence, so he could probably start there and work his way downwards to the beach for the seashells. Good thing his bag could carry a shit ton of stuff. 

"You don't have to worry about it too much," Kurapika said. "There's no deadline for debts anyway. You can take your time." 

"Hopefully I'll die before I pay him back," Killua grumbled, shoving a spoonful of food into his mouth in indignance. Kurapika only laughed and served him more food. 

"You eat well, that's nice. When Leorio first came over, he was too shy to get seconds even when he obviously wanted more." There was a hint of attitude in Kurapika's voice when he spoke. Hmm. How interesting. Killua's innate annoying little brother instincts came crawling out. 

"Yeah? That's weird. He wasn't shy around me when we first met." Killua's tone was purposefully suggestive, in a way that was pretending to be subtle but was obviously hinting at something. That tone always got on Milluki's nerves. It was his signature piss older people off move and it never failed. 

Kurapika was outwardly unfazed, but the steady slicing of his knife through his fish stuttered for just a second. Killua perked up like a cat spotting his prey. Oh? Was there drama on this humble little island? The two were like total opposites from what Killua could tell. Based on the movies he watched, he'd judge Leorio as the irresponsible drunk uncle at family reunions while Kurapika was the matriarch who brought presents for everyone but tolerated no shit. They'd get along disastrously. 

"What a pleasant surprise. So it seems he's more comfortable with kids then. I admit, I also have a bit of trouble getting along with people my age. Kids are less complicated and more reasonable, contrary to popular belief." 

Wait. People his age? Kids? "Aren't you around my age?" 

Kurapika looked mildly offended for the first time. "I'm eighteen." 

Well, fair enough. Although Kurapika looked young at first glance, he had a timeless appearance to him that could place him anywhere from a teenager to a young adult. Also he acted like somebody's grandma, a little lame and boring. So he was older than Killua thought, just a tragic victim of baby face syndrome. 

"Still young, though," Killua accused through a mouthful of food. He wasn't going to back down so easily now that he'd caught a whiff of tension. Call him Chris McLean because he was about to turn Whale Island into Total Drama Island. "So Leorio shouldn't have been nervous around you too!" 

All traces of wounded pride vanished from Kurapika's face at once. What was left was pure, unadulterated mirth. "Killua," he said gently, lips curling up into the widest smile he's made since they'd met, "Leorio is 20 years old." 

Killua spat his food out in surprise.

* * *

"Ugly old man," Killua muttered to himself, slinking in the shadows of the trees to lick his metaphorical wounds. "Master of deception. He totally got me." He was going to have to hurt Leorio's ego in retaliation. After he was exposed to have jumped on an utterly false conclusion (which he was going to use against Kurapika, no less!), Kurapika tried to comfort him by telling him it was a common mistake. Kurapika was clearly laughing at Leorio, not him, that much he could tell, but the fact that he thought he had Kurapika cornered when in fact he was the fool all along… Well, just the thought of it made him shake tree trunks a little more forcefully. 

He picked up the fallen apples and was about to move onto the next tree when he noticed his inventory was full. Time to sell them to Zepile so he could make more space. Before he could move on, he was drawn to the light shining across the grass like a moth to a flame. And who was obnoxious enough to shine a light as bright as this at night? He'd noticed Kurapika kept his illumination at a proper and respectful intensity that resembled a glow from the outside. But this was powerful, attention-grabbing, perhaps… government funded? 

He was right. Upon following the light to its source, he discovered the town museum. Pretty cool, he had to admit. Seemed like Whale Island had things worth keeping in a museum as fancy-looking as this. There was no door in the entrance so he walked right through. 

A tall, slender man in a suit and a mustache was standing in the middle of the hall. "Well, if it isn't a new face. Welcome to Whale Island's museum! I am Satotz, and I run this museum." His mustache moved as he spoke in lieu of his mouth. It was fascinating and disturbing to watch. Everything he said went in one ear and right out the other as Killua was too distracted by the magic moustache. "... several exhibits which I hope you will enjoy to see, although at the moment, they are devastatingly empty. We do accept donations and we always welcome visitors with open arms. It's a delight to have company. That aside, is there something I can assist you with?" 

"Where's your mouth?" Killua asked. 

"I had heard you are a curious and straightforward young man," Satotz said. "It is truly a pleasure to meet you." 

"You're dodging the question." 

"Aside from accepting donations, I can also identify fossils for you. If you doubt my credentials, I can provide you my official license." 

To hell with his license! Where was his motherfucking mouth? Killua would've pressed the issue if he hadn't seen the rug with a butterfly design on it. 

Satotz noticed his shift in attention. "Ah yes, that leads to the bug exhibit. Still empty, and thank goodness for that," he muttered the last part to himself. 

"Still, I wanna see!" Excited, Killua ran to the bug exhibit, eagerly drinking in the sight of neatly arranged trees and flowers. He visited all the exhibits, thoroughly entertained despite the lack of bugs and fishes and fossils. It looked like a sweet place, nothing that could harm the bugs and fishes. And Satotz seemed like the type of guy with a stick up his ass. True perfectionists wouldn't let living things get harmed under their care because of negligence. 

When he was done, he went back to Satotz. "You said I can donate, right?" 

"Why, of course! We would truly be grateful." 

"I'm thinking of catching a lot of beautiful butterflies. The big ones with really wide wings and long long antenna thingies." Killua wiggled his fingers just to give Satotz a little idea of what he had in mind. 

Satotz shuddered and turned pale. "That would be … a huge help for our museum." 

"I'll bet," Killua said, lips curving into his devious feline smile. So fun when he found out other people's weakness. He silently swore to himself to catch all the insects on this island. 

He raced back to Zep's Cranny and shouted as soon as he walked inside, "I got some apples for sale! Fresh off trees, get 'em while they're hot!" 

Zepile damn near jumped out of his skin. When he recovered, he brought out a tray and said, "In that case, put the items you'd like to se—" 

Killua dumped his entire inventory on it. "Money gimme gimme!" 

"I can sell you 1500 bells for everything. Would that be alright?" 

"Can't I bump up the price?" Killua pouted. 

"Sorry, but apples sell for 100 bells only." 

"Whatever. Stingy old man." Killua huffed and puffed while Zepile meticulously counted the bells before handing them over in a pouch.

"Here you go! 1500 bells exactly. How's that for counting?" 

"Awesome," Killua deadpanned, already heading straight for the net in the back of the room. Hopefully Kurapika was afraid of insects. He'd love to see that guy crack. Leorio seemed like it wouldn't take much to mess with him. 

"Yes, yes. That would be a net. It sells for 500 bells. Quite a bargain, isn't it? What do you say?" Zepile followed him around the store like a lost puppy. Because he was sincerely doing his best at his job, Killua laid off the attitude. He ended up buying the net and the fishing pole, already excited with all the cool things he'd catch. What if he was so good at catching that he'd completely ruin ecosystems? It wouldn't be a surprise if that happened. He was a highly skilled, extremely expert assassin. Death was his middle name. 

Man, this island wouldn't know what hit it. He'd have to go a bit easy. Smugly, he walked out of the shop, fishing pole over his shoulder. 

It didn't take five minutes to wipe that smug expression right off his face. Not one fish was caught. His inventory remained pathetically empty. It cried out to him, father feed me, for I am but skin and bones. Well he sure was fucking trying! 

"Son of a bitch!" He stomped a foot down in anger. The bait was right in front of the fish, tempting and juicy, and the fish swam right up to it then turned around at the last second to swim in the opposite direction. Now Killua had to chase it around, _again_. What more did it want from him?

He switched to bug catching and ended up embarrassing himself again. He whacked around at Kurapika's precious flowers as the butterfly fluttered peacefully around him. Mocking him viciously. No doubt its wings were flapping in butterfly language, calling him horrible names. 

This was ridiculous. His precision was excellent but the butterfly had powers of its own. It only looked like it was flying in this angle from Killua, but it was actually right behind him this whole time! What kind of bullshit. This whole island was a scam. 

By some mercy of a higher being, Killua caught a butterfly, and he was so pumped up, he showed it off to no one in particular. "Fuck yes! I caught a yellow butterfly! What, is it scared?" 

There was clapping coming from behind him. He turned around and saw Biscuit who was beaming and clapping like there was no tomorrow. Killua approached her. 

"Hey, Biscuit, uh, how long have you been standing there?" 

"It's _Bisky,_ and I'm just passing by. Heh, I bet you get restless at night like me, eh, Killua? With all this pent-up energy, I spend my nights doing yoga before I sleep. Keeps me young and fit!" 

Killua stifled his laughter. Young. Sure. Anyway, Bisky was the nosy type, he bet she had all kinds of dirt on Kurapika, a formidable foe, and Leorio, his enemy. "Yo, you got any gossip for me?" 

Bisky leaned forward conspiratorially. "Don't you think the relationship between Leorio and Kurapika is kinda cute? Oh, you could just tell they want to hold hands!" 

Killua could feel his devilish kitty smile returning in full force. "Do they, now?" 

Bisky nodded firmly. "That Kurapika though, he needs more muscle on his bones! Look at Leorio, he is in excellent form. Although for two people to love each other, physical appearance is irrelevant." Satisfied with her wisdom, she excused herself and began to walk away. 

If he had a tail, it would be swishing back and forth wildly. How interesting. How _very_ interesting. A way to hit two birds with one stone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday kurapika!!! I rushed to finish this chapter, it's 11:55 pm on April 4 as I write this!
> 
> Anyway, aren't they OOC? Villagers fit a rigid personality type so I had to pick which personality trait I'm gonna exaggerate in each villager. But Bisky is so difficult! She should be sisterly, but she's vain too. I think I'll just be more lax with personality types.
> 
> Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment! And again Happy birthday kurapika! :)


	6. vengeance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't have a beta reader😭😭upon finishing a chapter I just post it I don't even reread it. anyone interested 😙✌🏼hmu

After a long day of work, Killua retired to his new house to rest. He would've continued the non-stop fishing and bug catching through the night but Zepile had to close the store at 11 pm. Where that man went home to, Killua didn't know. Maybe he slept at the store. For someone who built houses, his own residence wasn't much to speak of. 

Well, Killua wasn't one to talk. When he stepped inside his home, he stepped back out again, unwilling to face reality. The candle wasn't even lit yet but his sharp eyes adjusted quickly in the dark and he didn't like what he saw. Cramped and totally, mercilessly bare. He planned to bring Alluka and hopefully Kalluto here and upon seeing his new place, he realized they just might beg him to take them back home. 

"Aw, shit," he sighed, going inside and lighting the candle to see just what he was going to work with. The space was just enough for one person and that was the biggest problem he had right now. Since he was going to whisk his siblings away from a terrible but admittedly luxurious life, he had to make sure they were comfortable. The lack of furniture was a problem for another day. First he had to make sure the roof could accommodate all of them. 

He paced around restlessly, mind running a million miles per hour. First things first, he had to settle his debt. Nothing was going to happen to his house if he still hadn't paid it off. Fruits didn't sell for much but they were the easiest to get. White and yellow butterflies sold for even less. And he had a cut off time at 11 pm. Despite all that, he was confident he could pay off the debt by tomorrow if he worked at it all day. 

There was an attic that had room for only one bed and a telephone, not that he was ever going to use it. Anything connected to a network would have Milluki sniff down. Fuck, he forgot to ask about the electricity bill. He'd have to bug Zepile about that tomorrow. 

The bed was a hella sweet gift though, and despite his complaints, he was thrilled to have that candle and that old timey radio. If he was living by himself, he wouldn't be so ambitious about his residence, but Alluka and Kalluto deserved only the excellent things in life. 

He emptied his mind and jumped on the bed, determined to recharge. His phone was long disposed of and he wasn't going to get a new one any time soon but damn did he miss it. All of his gadgets were a bitter loss in his life but they weren't sweet enough to make him endure another day in the Zoldyck household. He was fucking ki—he was doing unspeakable, unforgivable things—he was hurting and ruining so many lives because of his family, and it would only continue if he stayed. His victims, past and potential ones, didn't deserve the fate he was forced to give them. 

His stomach turned. He didn't like thinking about that. To distract himself, he thought about his new home on this little island and its people and how easily they took his mind off things. Even though they were lame and they were losers, he kinda liked them because of how sincere they were. Just living their best lives. 

He frowned. Well, except for one. Kurapika wasn't secretly evil or anything but he sure as hell was hiding something. Not like Killua could judge. He bet whatever skeletons Kurapika had in his closet, they couldn't compete with the bodies Killua's buried.

Frustrated, Killua threw the blanket over himself and forced himself to go to sleep. 

He awoke at 6 am like he always did. The bathroom had a toilet, a sink, a drain, a water drum and a faucet. Not even a cabinet for his toiletries. That was fine, he had them stored in a waterproof case and could hang it around the sink. The problem was how tiny the bathroom was. It probably had the dimensions of a coffin. No fucking way he was taking his siblings here. The moment the clock strikes 8 am he was charging at Zepile with all of his questions. 

He changed into yesterday's clothes with much disdain and regret. His other set was also used so he handwashed it and left it to dry on his roof. His house was so small he could toss things up on his roof with ease. With a couple thousand bells on hand, he could buy himself clothes at the dress shop next to Zep's Cranny. He was so distracted with making money he forgot about basic hygiene. Yuck. It was his first time living independently, so he tried not to be too harsh on himself. 

"Morning, Killua!" 

Killua looked over his shoulder to see Leorio saunter up to him with a ridiculous grin. "You're a morning person too, eh?" he said. "Great! Everyone here gets up early. Bisky and Kurapika are already working out together. I skipped out, I don't need it. Unlike that skinny Kurapika. So, what are you up to?" 

"Still trying to pay off my debt," Killua said, trying to keep a smug grin off his face. He had to use all of his willpower and training to stop himself from saying _Can't keep Kurapika's name out of your mouth, can you?_ Patience, young Zoldyck, he thought. He would strike when the time was ripe. 

"Money making?! Well, why didn't you say so? I'm an expert at that!" Leorio huffed and puffed like an excited old gorilla. "Say, did you know some trees drop money? We don't really know why that is, but I learned in life never to question the good things." He marched over to a tree with an embarrassing lack of swag he thought he had. Killua scowled at this man. 

"Observe." Leorio shook the tree. Leaves fell and not much else. Killua's scowl deepened. 

It took several tries, each of which Leorio very smugly announced "observe" and all Killua observed was failure, but eventually a tree did drop a coveted money bag. 

"Take it!" Leorio said, passing it over to Killua's grabby little hands. "How much is it?" 

"A hundred coins!" Killua dropped it in his wallet. This was great! He could only carry so much in his inventory but his wallet had no limit. If he shook all the trees on the island before Zep's Cranny opened, he'd have earned money without losing precious inventory space. "Thanks, old man! This'll be a huge help!" 

"Heh, it's no—hey, who are you calling old?!" 

But Killua was already dashing off to the edge of the town so he could not clarify that it was Leorio he was calling an old man. Still such a scam. It should be a crime to be 20 years old with that face. His boyfriend Kurapika was a scam too. Eighteen year old looking like an infant.  
It was a scam that would disgust even the devil. And so were the fishes and the butterflies. The whole lot of them, scammers. They should've named this place Scam Island. If they made a band, they'd be called Killua and the Scammers. Two scammers and an assassin walk into a bar. All three of them are gay. Wait, what was the punchline? Oh, there's the first tree. 

Killua shook it. "Come on! Give me your money!" It heeded his command, as it should. This was a wise tree. Killua accepted its offering of 100 bells with great satisfaction. 

The next tree was foolish. Disobedient. Leaves rained down from its branches and nothing else. Killua would remember this day. No one slighted him without regretting it. 

The following tree was also a—oh wait, something did fall! Thank goodness. Wait a minute, that's not a bag—

Oh shit! Killua ran as fast as he could. The deafening buzz behind him struck such a terror into his heart that not even Illumi could inspire. Holy fuck, bees were chasing him! He sped over a bridge and considered jumping into the water but decided against it. He had no change of clothes and if he let himself air dry he would end up sticky and stinky. No way in hell. He was born and raised a rich kid too, he had his moments. 

The buzzing grew louder and Killua ran faster. With the advantage of aerial travel, the bees eventually caught up to him and began stabbing at his face like he was their personal pincushion. 

"Owwww!! Motherfucker!" Killua shielded his face, swatted at the bees, involuntarily danced, prayed to God, did anything and everything a mortal could when faced with bees. When they finally left him the fuck alone, he skimmed his skin with his fingertips, feeling the swelling. There was no pain because of his immunity to all things unholy but he was pretty sure his face looked like a nightmare right now. 

Killua abruptly sat down on his rump. "I'm ugly," he bawled. No tears came out but his face was scrunched up in frustration. This couldn't be happening to him! The bees bullied the fuck out of him and he let it happen. 10 years of assassin training and he was beaten by insects no bigger than his thumb. Oh, how he would love to roll over and die. Only his love for his siblings kept him alive. 

When he stood up, he saw Bisky trotting around with a net over her shoulder. No way in hell was he letting her see his ugly face. He stood up and made a break for it. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Bisky's silhouette had disappeared over the horizon. He whooped in triumph too soon because he ran right into someone else. 

Kurapika stumbled backwards. "Ow, wha—" he screamed, woman in a horror movie style. His hands rose to his cheeks and all. If he had pearls, he'd be clutching them to his chest. Killua was vaguely impressed despite how extremely fucking insulted he was right now. 

"Ah, it's you, Killua! You were shaking trees, weren't you? The bees really did a number on you. Here." Kurapika handed him some medicine which quite frankly touched Killua's heart. It did quell his rage and embarrassment enough to hold himself back from crying. All that work last night to break Kurapika's composure, all his wit and his little shit antics, fell short compared to his ugly fucking face. 

Killua mumbled his thanks and applied the medicine. It worked wonders, he could immediately feel the swelling go down. 

"If bees are chasing you, you run into the nearest building, okay? Or you can try to catch them with your net, although that's a bit difficult." 

No way was Killua risking his face ever again. "I'll just run for it. Fuck bees." 

"Bees are important to the environment," Kurapika admonished. 

"I don't care! They can eat shit. I'll never forgive them." Dark aura emanated from Killua's figure, bloodlust rolling off of him in waves. He was downright demonic—the devil in a boy's skin. The flowers by his feet seemed to be wilting in fear. 

The average person would've pissed their pants and run for it, maybe begged for their life or prayed to God. But Kurapika only said, "Bees also sell for 4500 bells each." 

Killua immediately brightened up, bells binging in his eyeballs. "Bees are a boy's best friend!" he announced. 

"Sure they are." 

Killua rubbed his hands together because he was scheming with his evil genius mind. "I'm gonna catch all the goddamn bees in this place." 

"That'll be a bit difficult. When you catch one, the rest of them disperse. I'll bet you can only catch one per hive you mess with." 

"How come you know all these things?" his eyes narrowed at the threat of competition. It would be nice to have a bit of a challenge on this lazy island but not when money was on the line. Killua needed all the money in the world to be worthy of whisking his siblings away. Right now, they lived in his head rent free, where they hung with each other and roasted Killua for every move he made. 

"Did you see that? Big brother got his ass kicked by bees," imaginary Alluka said. "Bees the size of his thumb." 

"Disgraceful. I am not going anywhere with him," imaginary Kalluto said. 

"Fucking lame!" imaginary Milluki raised a middle finger. 

"Killua's a failure!" imaginary Kikyo cried hysterically, bomb in hand. "I'm going to end it all! I'm gonna blow all of us to hell!" 

"Did you run away just to get stung by bees, son," imaginary Silva said.

"You're not strong enough, Killua," imaginary Illumi said. "You're not ready to handle the bees of this world." 

"My ass itches," imaginary Zeno said.

Truly rent free. But real life wasn't like that. Real life had mortgage and bees. And suspicious gay teenagers. Just one so far, but Killua was never the type to let his guard down. There could be more coming his way. Life comes at you fast, after all. A league of shady Kurapika types could come rushing at him and he'd be totally unprepared. The defeat of last night still stung. 

Since Killua was a genius, all of these went down in a span of a quarter of a millisecond. So he was able to catch Kurapika's response.

"I'm not desperate enough to shake trees. Good luck, though." Damn, he could've just called Killua a bum. Less words but the same meaning. Killua wanted to wrangle his neck. Who did this twink think he was talking to? 

"Whatever. You're missing out anyway. Shaking trees is super fucking fun." Killua was huffing and puffing but stopped himself when he remembered another loser who had a habit of doing just that. 

"Really?" Kurapika sounded surprisingly sincere.

"Yeah, totally!" Killua gloated, painfully aware of how dumb he was acting right now. Maybe Leorio's stupidity was caused by hanging around Kurapika so much. Something about this guy just made him act up to prove a point. Tsk, wise guys. 

Regardless of his self-awareness, Killua swaggered over to a tree and shook it. Nothing fell out. Of fucking course. 

However, Kurapika looked intrigued. He walked over to a tree, put his hands on the trunk, only to cringe immediately. He snatched his hands back as if they were burned. 

"Dude, you missed out on the actual shaking," Killua said. 

"Maybe when I'm really desperate," Kurapika murmured. "Rough wood hurts me." 

"Huh?" Killua's eyes damn near popped out of his head. Was this like a Superman and his kryptonite kind of situation? So cool! But also so sad and lame. It was awesome to be invincible but not if your weakness was something as common as wood. 

"I have tactile sensitivity," Kurapika said. His voice had… changed. He sounded mildly pleasant but a bit robotic—dear god, he sounded _informative_ , exactly like the generic voiceovers of the video tutorials he watched. "It's quite common among autistic people. Tactile sensitivity is a sensory processing issue that…" 

Killua blanked out. He had heard all he needed to hear. Kurapika was his kin, his brother. When Kurapika stopped talking, he said, "Sweet! I have ADHD." 

"Oh!" Kurapika brightened, flowers blooming all around him. "That's just fantastic." 

"Yeah!" Rivalry ended with Kurapika. Kurapika was now his best friend. That was not a good thing. Killua was nastier and a thousand times more teasing towards people he considered his friends. He'd do heinous deeds like carving Leorio <3 Kurapika on tree trunks. His evil kitty smile was coming up. 

"Do you have a tendency to hyperfixate, as well?" Kurapika said. "I have something of a one track mind…yes, when I focus on something, I throw my life away. Just for that. One. Thing." 

Whoa. Got a little intense back there. Seems like Kurapika could release a bit of his own dark aura. Killua really couldn't afford to let his guard down around this guy. But to be completely honest with himself, he liked him. He liked Leorio too. He'd sooner die than admit to these two things however. 

"Hyperfixate? I guess I never really got a choice to do that…" Killua said thoughtfully. If he ever let anything get in the way of his assassin job, he'd get his ass dragged to the torture chamber. "I do have trouble switching between tasks." Hence why all he did yesterday was grind for money so much that Zepile was emptying his pockets and wracking his mind to crunch numbers. 

"Me too. It's why I hate when Leorio visits unannounced. I do not like being disturbed!" Kurapika crossed his arms, annoyed but so obviously fond. 

"Oh come on, aren't surprise visits from your boyfriend supposed to be sweet?" Killua sang, mischievous cat expression deployed and ready for battle. 

"Wh—what?" Oh shit, a stutter! Glorious, glorious day. And was that a blush? What a sight to behold—Kurapika was in _shambles_ and Killua delighted in his demise. 

"What? Don't deny it, you'll break his heart! Hm? Hm? Hm?" Killua danced around Kurapika, poking and prodding and ripping his dignity to shreds. "Leorio and Kurapika, sitting on a tree!" 

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Bisky yelled from the other side of the river. 

"No, you—!" Kurapika made a grab for Killua who easily jumped out of the way, sticking his tongue out. 

"Don't hurt me! I'll tell on you! Your husband won't be happy to hear this!" Killua shouted, running away with Kurapika in hot pursuit. 

"Be quiet!"

"Waaaahhhh! I don't wanna!" Fuck, where did Leorio live again? It totally slipped his mind. He'd been delivering among the same three houses yesterday that they got all jumbled up in his memory. "Leoriooooo! Your boyfriend is misbehaving!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. 

"You naughty little kid!" Kurapika didn't even sound out of breath and he kept up with Killua's breakneck speed. This was a real threat he was facing. Killua needed to find Leorio ASAP and then they can kiss or something and he could escape. 

Killua spotted a house with a person moving past the window. Fuck yes, he was saved! Bisky was out and Kurapika was currently charging at him like a mad bull so this was definitely Leorio's house. Frantically, he rushed into the door, knocked quickly then tore it open so quickly it nearly flew off its hinges. 

"Leorio!" he shouted, relief and victory flooding his veins. "Kura—" 

He was cut off by the heavenly sight before him. A boy his age with wide curious eyes, spiky green hair and the loveliest smile he's ever seen. 

"Who's Leorio?" the boy spoke in a cheery voice, smiling. Good god, was that a dimple? Yes, that was a dimple. A cute one. His knees went weak. 

"Why hello, new neighbor." A hand placed itself on Killua's shoulder, the touch feather light but filled with malice. Goosebumps appeared along Killua's arms, the hair on his neck raising as if static was in the air. His danger senses were going haywire. 

Slowly, with dread seeping into his bones, he turned his head to look at Kurapika, who was wearing an angelic smile with the evillest eyes he's ever seen. He had picked up on the situation too quickly and was on a path of revenge. "I'm Kurapika and this is my friend Killua. He seems to be your age. I hope you two become very good friends." 

"Hi Kurapika, hi Killua! My name is Gon. And sure, I'll be your friend!" Oh no, oh no, he was approaching Killua. Now he was standing right in front of Killua. He was holding his hand out at Killua, waiting. Smiling. 

"What's wrong, Killua?" Kurapika said, eyes glinting with vengeance. "Shake his hand." 

Life really did come at you fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> neurodivergent gang make some noise!! anyone here unable to touch paper and wood and certain cloths? I feel like dying whenever I touch those -_- 
> 
> love at first sight?? 😯 my best friend is like that :/ he sees a boy that's just his type and he's speechless
> 
> ps THE GAYS ARE FIGHTINGGGG place ur bets who wins this round kurapickfnd or killususbsnne


	7. New Friends

Killua played it cool. He had to. His life was on the line. Kurapika was like a wicked witch with his clawed hands around Killua's throat, ready to draw blood at the slightest error. Oh, to be a fairytale child who taunted the spirit of the forest out of mischief, only to be lured back into its vengeful clutches by a cute boy. Kikyo would sometimes read them stories where the children always died because of their incompetence, holding them up as an example of what not to do. Maybe Killua should've paid more attention to her dumbass stories, then he wouldn't be in this situation. In his defense, this boy was very cute. Also the first kid in his age range who wasn't employed by his parents. 

"I'm Killua. How old are you?" Could never be too sure about this. Leorio and Kurapika had taught him that. 

"I'm twelve!" 

"Huh, you're the same age as me." Internally, Killua was hitting the hardest dance moves to the sick beats inside his head. 

Gon was still smiling that silly bright grin. It wouldn't be a surprise if his face stuck like that. Killua's cheeks ached if he smiled too long but his new friend did it as naturally as breathing. "Guess we're all around the same age, then? We can play on the beach together!" 

Killua snickered, sneaking a teasing glance at Kurapika. 

There was a slight pause before Kurapika spoke, probably spent biting his tongue if his briefly tense expression was anything to go by. "I am considerably _older_ than both of you, I do not play on beaches anymore. But I'd be happy to accompany you." 

"He's a shy kid," Killua whispered loudly to Gon.

"I'm eighteen," Kurapika announced firmly. 

"Well, why can't you play on beaches anymore?" Gon tilted his head like a confused puppy. Killua fought back a blush. 

"I prefer reading." 

Gon and Killua shuddered. "Ew!" 

"You can play together, instead," Kurapika said. "I'm sure Killua would love that. Wouldn't you, Killua?" His tone was too sweet, too innocent, too … evil.

Killua glared at Kurapika with all the rage he could muster. Evil, evil Kurapika. Such a bad friend. Before he could aim more of his negative thoughts towards Kurapika so he could manifest a little karma, Gon did something absolutely heart-stopping. 

Gon grabbed both of his hands and held it between them pleadingly. He stared, dumbfounded, helpless in the full force of Gon's puppy eyes. "Please, please, _please_ , Killua? I promise we'll have all the fun in the world!" 

Killua blinked. He blinked once more, to shake himself out of stupor. "Uhh, sure." 

"Yay!" Gon jumped up and down but he still hadn't let go of Killua's hands. Holy shit, they were still holding hands! Killua could feel all of the life force draining out of him. His face caught fire, his knees threatened to give way, his heart was throwing a tantrum and threatened to break out of his rib cage. He was literally fucking dying. 

He sent a helpless glance to Kurapika who was clearly enjoying the situation. _Bitch, help me._ They were still friends, weren't they? Neurodivergent gang had to stick together through thick or thin. Surely there was no way Kurapika would leave him to die. He was so young too. 

Like a guardian angel descending from the clouds, Kurapika approached Gon and put a calming hand on his shoulder. "Why don't we get started by fixing your house up?" He lightly waved at the general mess Gon's house was in, boxes piled up all around them. "Afterwards you can go explore this island as much as you want." 

"Right!" Gon dropped Killua's hands so very gently—oh fuck why was that specified that wasn't even an important detail… or was it?—and marched over to the nearest box. "On second thought, I don't think I want you guys to help me out. I have a lot of secret stuff here, hehe." He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. 

"Are you sure?" Kurapika frowned. "There's a lot of stuff to unpack." 

"Yep! I'll probably be done by tomorrow. You'll come visit me then, right?" Shit, why did he have to look at Killua right when he asked that question? Blushing, Killua averted his gaze and muttered his agreement. The way Gon looked at him, like he was a new and shiny thing to keep, and know and love, felt undeserved. People didn't look at him with excitement and wonder and they sure didn't come looking for him the next day. Only Alluka did that, but if they weren't related by blood, if she wasn't cursed by the Zoldyck last name, her angelic nature would've attracted better company for her to keep. Killua was… he was—

"Of course we will," Kurapika said, sounding like he meant every word. "There's more of us on this island. Everyone will be so happy to meet you, Gon. You're such a nice kid." 

"Aww, stop!" Gon cried out, sticking his tongue out. His face was as red as a tomato. Killua sighed at the adorable sight. Was he ever going to get used to it? 

"Killua and I still have things to do. We'll head out first. Feel free to visit any of our houses as long as we're home. Just knock before you come in, you don't want to scare anyone. Especially Leorio, he's a disaster when he's surprised." 

"You would know," Killua muttered under his breath. Kurapika pinched his side lightly, causing him to flinch. Well maybe if Kurapika resisted the urge to mention Leorio more often, Killua wouldn't tease him. He just made it so easy. 

"I have dinner at 6 pm, if you want to come over," Kurapika said. "Bisky eats at 8 pm, I'm sure she'd love to have company for dinner. She's our friend, too." 

"No, don't go! She'll nag you," Killua said sternly. He avoided Bisky as much as he could because for the few times they crossed paths, she judged his figure and acted like she was his health instructor. "Doesn't she nag you too, Kurapika?" 

Kurapika's face soured. Killua recalled Bisky's comments on how thin Kurapika was. He felt a twinge of sympathy but also he couldn't help but agree. "Yes. But she's a better cook than I am." 

"Then maybe it's worth it," Gon hummed thoughtfully. 

"She makes excellent vegetable dishes." 

Gon and Killua exchanged disgusted looks. "I think I'll eat with you later," Gon said. 

"Then I'll be looking forward to it." He nodded at Gon and led the way to the door, a relieved Killua in tow. Gon was too overwhelming to spend more than ten minutes with. Killua had to retreat and regroup and mentally strengthen himself for their next encounters. 

"Isn't Killua coming?" 

Kurapika floundered for a quick moment. He obviously thought they were home free. "That depends on Killua's workload for today. Sometimes he makes it, sometimes he doesn't." He nudged Killua. 

Killua opened his mouth and words came out robotically. "I do not think I will make it." 

"Aw," Gon pouted, so cute that Killua almost took it back. "Work sucks." 

Oh my god, what did he mean by that? Work sucked because it kept them apart. Was that it? No way… but what if? 

He was still pondering to himself when Kurapika had taken him by the sleeve and led him out of the door, throwing a goodbye over his shoulder. Gon's voice called after them, high pitched with joy and longing as he returned their goodbye. 

"That was…" Kurapika paused, expression mildly perturbed. "Terrible." 

Killua scowled. He did not want to hear it from Mr. Leorio's unofficial lover. "I wasn't that bad." 

"You're coming for dinner, then?" 

Killua groaned, pulling at his hair in frustration. What had him acting funny? Maybe because it was his first time away from his controlling and homophobic family. Maybe because this was the first time he was free to consider other people as more than just obstacles or targets. Maybe Gon was just that cute. Now that he was living a life with all the freedom he could possibly wish for, he had no idea what to do. 

"I thought so." Kurapika seemed like he was about to say something else but stopped himself. 

"What?" Killua snapped. 

"Hm? What do you mean?" 

"You were going to say something." Dejected, Killua dragged his turtleneck upwards to cover half his reddening face, the cloth resting on the bridge of his nose. "Just say it. This day couldn't get any worse." 

"I think he has a crush on you." 

Killua short-circuited. 

"Oh my." Kurapika bent down in front of him to check his face. "Are you dead?" 

It wasn't a stupid question to ask, seeing how stiff Killua was at the moment. His muscles tensed up, his lungs stuttered in their rhythm and his eyes weren't really registering anything. Not even when Kurapika waved a hand in front of his glassy, dead eyes. 

"So young, too," Kurapika sighed. He put a hand over Killua's eyes and gently closed them. 

In the darkness, Killua found the light at the end of the tunnel. So, this was it. He waited for the light to approach him, to engulf him in its warmth and take him to a faraway place…

Ok, enough of the bullshit. Killua's eyes snapped open and he began to wail. "Aaaah! Stupid Kurapika! You don't know what you're talking about!" The most annoying noises came flooding out of his mouth, perfected by years and years of being a little brother to Milluki who deserved all the shit he threw at him.

"It is just my observation," Kurapika said, unfazed by the ungodly whining. 

"Yeah? No way! What did you observe?" Killua was buzzing with nervous energy. He was on the verge of exploding. His heart was going fucking crazy in there. Didn't Leorio mention he was a doctor? If he held a stethoscope to Killua's chest right now he'd surely live the rest of his life with a deaf ear. 

"It's obvious. The only reason you didn't notice was because you were too distracted. He couldn't stop looking at you and he couldn't stop smiling. Plus, I am quite adept at reading body language. He was very open towards you and he had a tendency of mimicking your motions." Kurapika's voice had adopted his informative voice over on a video tutorial tone but there was a constant tremor as he spoke. He was trying to hold back his laughter, that traitor! 

"Don't laugh at me," Killua grumbled.

"Sorry, sorry." Kurapika hid his smile behind his hand. "I can't help it. You two are very cute. You were like two magnets of opposite polarities." 

Ah wha huh? "I don't get it." 

"You keep gravitating towards each other." 

"We did _not_." He pulled his collar higher to cover everything below his eyes. Kurapika was forbidden from seeing just how red his face was right now. 

"Aren't you happy? He seems like a very good boy. He'd make a great friend for you." 

Killua covered his face with his hands. "Of course I'm happy," he said with a muffled voice. But did he deserve to be? 

"Then that's that. You calm yourself down and tomorrow you'll get to know him better. Why don't you go fishing to distract yourself? You still have a loan to pay." 

Killua lowered his hands, staring at the ground intensely enough to make the grass catch fire. He was redirecting all of his focus on chasing the blush away from his face. 

"You act like a parent," he said just to change the topic. "Are you the eldest sibling or something?" 

"No." 

The answer was so short and so flat that Killua looked at Kurapika in shock. In the short time they'd known each other, Kurapika had always kept a calm composure, had a gentle tone but occasionally sharp words when he wanted to, and was constantly patient and friendly. Leagues away from Milluki and Illumi. Although Killua messed with Milluki, he did it not for fun but out of spite and resentment. He didn't even dare cross Illumi at all. But the more he poked and prodded at Kurapika, the more he realized there were no consequences for acting like a little kid.

He must've let his guard down around Kurapika more than he thought because he was feeling a little hurt. He could gladly take Kurapika's scheming and shade and sass but not this cold dismissal.

Kurapika's eyes softened. "I was an only child, Killua. Now look over there. I think I see the shadow of a koi." 

Kurapika gave him a few tips for fishing then excused himself when he saw that Killua got the hang of it. As Killua watched his bait bob up and down in the water, carried along by the current of the river, he reflected on Kurapika as a person. There were too many red flags to ignore. Kurapika was able to sense Killua and keep up with him in speed and he was also very secretive. Apparently he could read body language too. Who knew what kind of conclusions he'd drawn from Killua just by observing him? If he had any sense of self-preservation, he'd stay away. Anyone with deadly skills would be on the Zoldyck's radar and one careless mistake could have him sent home to his doom. 

But a part of Killua didn't care. He wanted to be a kid. He wanted to make friends. He wanted to bully Leorio and tease Kurapika. He wanted to annoy Bisky. He wanted to play with Gon on the beach and get to know him. He wanted them to hold hands again. It was a strange new feeling for someone to hold him without hurting him and he wanted to feel it again. And again. Maybe everyday. 

When he took his siblings to their new home, he wanted to introduce them to everyone and be able to proudly say that their big brother had found them a new family too. One that wouldn't hurt them. 

A fish bit on the bait. Killua reeled it in too early, allowing it to swim away. Yeah, he shouldn't get ahead of himself. Who knew what secrets everyone else was keeping? It's not like Kurapika was the only suspicious person here. Leorio acted like a lazy bum but he was pretty dedicated to studying medicine. What lazy bum would choose to become a doctor, anyway? That guy was hiding something for sure. Bisky looked like a kid but was old enough to be someone's grandma, if Leorio's gossip was to be believed. That alone was enough to make her untrustworthy. 

And Gon … Killua frowned at his reflection in the water. Gon was a twelve year old living alone. There's no way he didn't come with a story. Killua sure as hell did, and his story was written in blood. Disgusting. 

Killua tossed his bait back into the water just to ruin his reflection with ripples.

He eventually filled his inventory up. There were a few new fishes he'd never caught before so he ran all the way to the museum, excited. 

Satotz welcomed him warmly. "Greetings! It's always nice to have visitors. Is there something I can do for you?" 

Killua's eyes sparkled as he unloaded all the new fish he'd just caught right in front of Satotz. 

"Oh my! One at a time, please." 

Cherry salmon, rainbow trout, squid and koi. One by one, he handed them over, buzzing with excitement at the thought of seeing these fish swimming around in the aquarium. He paid half a mind to Satotz talking about the fish and the best way to cook them based on the chefs he knew and the places he's been. Maybe Killua should learn a little cooking himself. Except he didn't have a stove and any kitchen equipment. He'd have to bum off of Kurapika for a while, then. Leorio's cooking made him curious too—maybe the old man was a fantastic cook. Doctors healed sick people and they had to make sure they ate well, right? Therefore Leorio had to learn how to cook awesome healthy dishes. Ha, his logic was bulletproof. Killua rubbed his hands together, hyped for the prospect of delicious meals. 

Satotz thanked him profusely for all his donations. Killua waved his thanks off graciously and ran right out the door towards Zep's Cranny. It was past 8 am and he wanted answers. 

Zepile was sweeping the floor when he burst in. "Good morning, Killua!" 

"Oy, old man, tell me more about the house! What about water and electricity?" 

"Those are all free. Don't worry about it! Our mayor takes care of it." 

Killua wasn't so sure. "Taxes?" 

"Only business owners like me and the sisters next door pay taxes. Everything else is paid for by the mayor. No need to worry!" 

Hmm, sketchy. A government official doing his job well? That was way too good to be true. The smart thing right now would be to keep his mouth shut and stay alert of any fishy business. Heh, fishy business. Like him selling fish for a living. 

As he began trading his simple wares for his keep like a proper young lad making his way in the world, he wondered more about the old man Netero. It would be wise to learn more about the man in charge of everything but he had to do it secretly so his mistrust wouldn't be detected. No, he had to appear clueless. And what better way to effortlessly gain information aside from their local loudmouth? 

"What brings you here, Killua? You pay your debt off yet?" Leorio closed his notebook with a flourish, opening up the next one. Killua had made himself at home in Leorio's cluttered house, the walls covered in manila paper and cartolina scribbled across with medical jargon. A large bookshelf was filled to the maximum but well-organized, standing tall next to Leorio's desk overflowing with notes. On the far side of the wall, boxes and plants and jars with strange-looking concoctions appealed to Killua. He wanted to taste them. 

"Nice place," he said, shaking hands with the life-sized skeleton in the corner. The bones rattled slightly—Killua took that as skeleton speak for _hello_. 

"You've got a good eye on you. That damn Happy Room Academy gave me a low score for my house and told me to clean up. I should be exempted because I'm an honorable student!" 

"What's the Happy Room Academy?" 

"One of Netero's weird interests. He invites all these fancy people to inspect our houses while we're away, then grades us. What kind of person does that?!" 

Killua perked up at the mention of Netero. "Yeah, that is creepy. How'd they get in anyway?" 

"I guess Zepile gives Netero a copy of our keys. Which is illegal! Why, I oughta—!" Leorio huffed, putting his pen down from when he was scribbling on his notebook furiously. "No… it's a funny island we live in, see, it's a dream in a lot of ways, but strange when you think about it too hard." 

"Haven't you guys lived here long?" Killua asked, appearing nonchalant despite his piqued interest. He poked idly at the floating heart inside the jar, to the rhythm of its beating. Through his expert eyes, the heart was clearly a fake and quite low quality, but it serves its purpose for anatomy study. On the black market, real reanimated hearts sold for a pretty penny and were used as nothing more than decoration. 

Frowning, Killua thought that if anybody deserved such a rare item, it would be someone like Leorio who's studying hard. Then again, it's not like Leorio would want such a thing. Cringing at himself, Killua was reminded of why he didn't have any friends. 

"Not much, I've been here a little over a month? Kurapika came a few days after me. Bisky was the first arrival here, an old friend of Netero's. I'm still getting a feel for the place. So far so good though. The lack of expenses certainly helps," he cackled. 

"A dream come true for a stingy man like you." Killua stuck his tongue out when Leorio glared at him. "But really, don't you think it's too good to be true?" 

"I've never been a lucky man," Leorio proclaimed. "The universe owes me and she knows it, so there's a chance that this is it! I'm not passing it up because I'm too scared to give it a try." 

Killua couldn't tell if he was stupid or brave. Probably a lethal combination of both. He highly doubted that Leorio carried out Killua's thorough investigation on this island and Netero, crossing out all the likely dangerous candidates involved in creating a seemingly safe space and anyone else who might be interested in it. His connections to the underground, Milluki's tendency to fall asleep at the computer and Illumi's straightforward answers were the reason why Killua concluded that no one villainous was involved or even aware of Netero's little project, and it was why he risked it all to come here. Even then, he still had his guard up. 

Meanwhile, this broke dude with a pipe dream was betting everything on, what, karma for his shitty life? Killua snorted. So naive at that age. 

"Oy, you better not be touching anything!" 

Killua was snapped out of his thoughts. He retracted his hand from the glowing brain with different colors for each major part. It was so soft and squishy under his finger, he hadn't realized he'd been tapping on it. Oops, there was a slight indent in it now. 

"I wasn't," he lied. 

"If you're so bored, I have dolls in the upper left drawer in front of you." 

"Dolls?!" Killua cried out. "I don't play with dolls!" Not after Kalluto and Alluka played a prank on him that left him scarred for years to come. Dolls were scary. 

"Nothing unmanly about playing with dolls, you little punk!" 

"Who said anything about unmanliness?" Killua grumbled. No way he was admitting it was because his little siblings got the best of him. "I'm leaving. See ya around, old man."

Just as he was at the door, Leorio called out to him. "Hey, kid. I don't know your story and all, but if you're looking for a place to say, you should give this place a chance. It may be risky but everywhere else carries that risk. This place is something we're unfamiliar with, sure, and it feels safer dealing with a danger we already know about. But instead of settling for a guaranteed shitty life out there with its own kind of consequences, at least we have a chance of something good here."

Killua's face burned up at the sincerity in Leorio's voice. He kept his back turned to hide his blush. "Oy, what's with the speech?" 

"I've been alone most of my life, since I was a kid like you." That shocked Killua enough to look over his shoulder, at the man still hunched over his desk. "I used to be wary and mistrustful of everything. Eventually learned to survive risks instead of avoiding them. Sometimes it's worth it, sometimes it isn't. You can't always win. What matters at the end of the day, though, is that you're alive. You can work out the rest later."

Killua opened his mouth to say something snarky, something rude, something to break up the odd seriousness in the air, coming from the annoying goofball Leorio of all people. Instead, what he said was, "Yeah… okay."

As he left Leorio's house, shame had settled in his chest, warm and heavy, because he had misjudged Leorio terribly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i disappeared... i really have no excuse 😳 hiii
> 
> i hope everyone's okay. honestly i havent been doing very well but im working on myself so i can be the type of person who makes others happy. the world is really crazy and shitty right now so i hope at least by posting something, the people reading cheer up even a little bit. only we can make the world brighter for each other. lets take care of each other as best as we can!
> 
> to the person who offered to beta read! i was going to email you but i felt impulsive so i just posted this as is 😛 if youre not busy i will send the next chapters to you, dont feel pressure though! It would just be nice to have someone else checking this silly little story. regardless thank you for offering!


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